Do you ever feel hopeless and defeated? Like you’re in the middle of a battle, blindly throwing punches into the darkness at some unknown enemy? If you are a child of the King, you are in a fight…in a war, in fact. Because of your relationship with God, you have a fierce opponent who is throwing all he’s got at you, wearing you down. Satan wants your spirit to be stone-cold dead.
Sisters in Christ, don’t let that happen! As much as we would really prefer to be pampered princesses in a crystal palace, God is calling His daughters to be warriors.
I have many dear friends who are in the thick of the battle right now. God led me to Psalm 121 as source of encouragement for them. When David wrote this song, he was not feeling confident or joyful, that’s for sure. Although it doesn’t specify, David was probably in the middle of a battle. Regardless of the situation, it’s clear that he was pretty desperate for a savior.
I lift my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? (verse 1)
I bet David was looking for one of those movie-magic moments when the hero and his men are about to give up the battle and then suddenly, {trumpet blast} there over the rise, there comes another regiment, galloping triumphantly, banners flapping in the wind! They are saved!
Well, that’s apparently not what happened in this case! As much as he looked over those hills, David just couldn’t see help coming from them. Sometimes obstacles block our perspective. We can’t see into the future; we can’t see any reason to hope. But…
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. (verse 2)
Yes! We can have confidence in the One who created all and is sovereign over all!
He will not let your foot slip. (verse 3a)
The terrain around Israel was rocky and slippery. It must have been difficult to fight in those conditions. And David and his men may have been wounded and weary from battles that lasted hours or even days. But they had to stand firm, as God calls us to do. And here is what is so great…God will keep us steady.
He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. (verses 3b-4)
We get sooo tired sometimes; but God doesn’t. He has promised to be your keeper, your protector and your shepherd. You can trust that He is vigilantly guarding you even when you can’t take another step.
The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand. (verse 5)
Imagine that you are war-weary (that may not be a stretch!) and you are lying exhausted in the desert, parched from the heat. Then a deliciously refreshing shadow falls over you. God is nearby, sheltering you. You can breathe deeply knowing He is near. In ancient Hebrew culture, the right hand often signified strength. It was the working hand, the hand with which you go to battle. But your right hand is weakened from all the strain. No worries, God is there, ready to go to battle for you!
The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm – he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. (verses 6-8)
Well that sounds pretty great…sign me up for no more harm! But if we really study scripture, it is clear that these verses do not indicate that we will never be hurt or wounded in our lives. The Lord has called us to put on the armor of God…now He wouldn’t have told us to suit up if we didn’t need to, would He? And elsewhere God has promised that we will be persecuted and that we will have many troubles.
So what does this mean? I think that the last verse makes it clear that God will protect and preserve us for eternity. We’re definitely going to be beaten and battered, but our souls are shielded by the Almighty.
I love how this Psalm begins by focusing on ourselves and our predicaments, but it quickly turns the focus on God and who He is. Daughters of the Most High, when you are battle-weary, lift your eyes to the Keeper of your soul. He is where your help comes from.
Becca is a regular contributor of Triple Braided. She is a daughter, sister, aunt and, most importantly, a child of the King. She loves singing, reading, hiking, cooking, serving at her church and hanging out with her sweet nieces. Becca works as a curriculum developer at a credit union in her home state of North Carolina.
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